Rabies is a serious viral disease that can infect mammals, including squirrels. If you’ve spotted a baby squirrel and are wondering if it could have rabies, read on for a comprehensive answer.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: While rare, it is possible for baby squirrels to contract rabies if their mother was infected. However, healthy baby squirrels are unlikely to approach humans.
If you do come across one that seems sick, rabid, or is acting aggressively, contact animal control immediately.
Can Squirrels Get Rabies?
Squirrels and the rabies virus
Squirrels are not natural carriers of the rabies virus. However, they can contract rabies if they are bitten by an infected animal. Rabies is rare in squirrels, but it is possible for them to get infected with the disease (1).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rodents like squirrels and small lagomorphs (rabbits, hares, and pikas) are rarely infected with rabies. Bats, foxes, skunks, and raccoons are considered rabies reservoir species as they can carry and transmit the virus regularly (2).
If a rabid animal, such as a fox, bites or scratches a squirrel and breaks its skin, the squirrel can get infected with the rabies virus. However, transmission from squirrels to humans is extremely rare.
Since 1958, only 5 human rabies cases in the United States were attributed to squirrel exposure (3).
Transmission and symptoms
The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, usually entering the body via a bite wound. An animal with rabies will have the virus in their saliva about 10 days before they start showing clinical signs of infection (4).
If a rabid animal bites a squirrel, symptoms typically develop 20-60 days later. Rabid squirrels may demonstrate strange behavior like seeming tame, aggressiveness, trouble moving or paralysis, and no fear of natural predators like humans. They also often lose their instinct to avoid danger.
Rarely, rabid squirrels may chase or try to bite humans.
The CDC recommends contacting a healthcare provider for a rabies risk assessment if bitten or scratched by any wild mammal like a squirrel, even if it appears healthy (5). However, since rabies is extremely rare in squirrels, the risk is very low in most cases.
According to a 20-year study on rabid wildlife in Santa Clara County, California, around 32 different animal species were confirmed with rabies, but no squirrels tested positive (6). State-wide from 1985-2018, there were only 2 reported cases of rabies in squirrels out of 4,813 wild animals tested (7).
So while squirrels can technically contract rabies, transmission seems extraordinarily rare. But it’s still smart to be cautious around wildlife! 🐿️
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/other.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/vectors/index.html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22607023/
- https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109002331500310X
- https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Rabies.aspx
Risk Factors for Baby Squirrels
Vulnerable Immune Systems
Baby squirrels have underdeveloped immune systems, making them more susceptible to contracting diseases like rabies. Their immune systems are immature and haven’t built up defenses against viruses and bacteria yet.
This vulnerability lasts for the first few months of a baby squirrel’s life until its immune system strengthens.
According to wildlife experts, baby squirrels are especially prone to rabies infection if their mother is infected. Newborn squirrels have very limited immunity passed down from their mother, so they cannot fight off the rabies virus very well.
In fact, baby squirrels have a mortality rate over 99% if their mother has rabies.
Some signs of a weakened immune system in baby squirrels include lethargy, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. These symptoms can progress to neurological issues and muscle spasms if diseases like rabies take hold.
Contact with Infected Mothers
Baby squirrels typically acquire rabies from their infected mothers. Female squirrels pass the virus to their young through their saliva. Rabies transmission usually occurs when an infected mother grooms her babies.
Rabies can also spread among a litter of baby squirrels as they come into close contact with one another. The virus has an incubation period of 1-3 months, so baby squirrels may not show symptoms right away even if they contract rabies.
Some key points about rabies transmission from mother squirrels:
- Newborn squirrels are completely dependent on their mother’s care, which increases exposure.
- Mothers with rabies often display abnormal caregiving behaviors like inadequate nursing.
- Infected mothers may bite their babies more forcefully when grooming or carrying them.
- Rabies causes neurological symptoms like aggression, increasing the risk of bites.
Separating baby squirrels from their rabid mother and humanely euthanizing the infected squirrels are the only ways to stop the spread of rabies. Otherwise, the whole litter will likely succumb to the deadly virus if the mother is not treated.
Identifying Signs of Rabies in Baby Squirrels
Behavioral changes
Rabid baby squirrels often exhibit major behavioral changes that can help identify the disease. Here are some key things to look out for:
- Increased aggression or irritability – Healthy baby squirrels are typically quite docile, but rabid ones may become aggressive, attacking or biting at anything near them.
- Loss of fear – Rabid squirrels lose their natural wariness toward humans and other animals. They may allow people to approach or even handle them.
- Disorientation and lack of coordination – The virus impacts the central nervous system, causing infected squirrels to stumble, have trouble balancing, or seem confused.
- Seizures and tremors – Muscle spasms and convulsions are common in end-stage rabies as the disease overwhelms the nervous system.
- Unusual vocalizations – Healthy young squirrels rarely make noise, but rabid ones may chatter, screech or cry out.
- Difficulty eating or swallowing – Rabies often causes paralysis in the throat muscles, making eating and drinking difficult.
Physical symptoms
In addition to behavioral signs, there are physical symptoms associated with rabies in baby squirrels:
- Excessive salivation or drooling – The throat paralysis causes excess production of saliva the animal cannot swallow.
- Paralysis or limb weakness – As the virus spreads, it can cause partial paralysis in the limbs or face.
- Dilated pupils – The pupils become fixed and dilated even in bright light.
- Hunched posture – Sick squirrels often sit hunched up instead of their normal active stance.
- Loss of fur or wounds – Infected squirrels may compulsively bite themselves, pulling out fur and causing skin lesions.
- Dehydration – Difficulty swallowing leads to dehydration, causing sunken eyes and tacky gums.
According to the CDC, rabies is extremely rare in squirrels, with only 27 cases reported in the U.S. between 2009-2018. Still, abnormal behavior in baby squirrels warrants caution as rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Contact with any wild animal showing signs of distress or aggression should be avoided. Notify your local animal control department if you suspect rabies so they can take steps to confirm diagnosis and minimize risk.
What To Do If You Find a Potentially Rabid Baby Squirrel
Discovering a potentially rabid baby squirrel can be alarming, but there are important steps you should take. First, do not try to touch or handle the animal, as rabies is spread through contact with infected saliva. Instead, keep your distance and monitor the squirrel’s behavior.
Look for Signs of Rabies
Rabid squirrels may display abnormal behaviors like:
- Loss of natural fear of humans
- Aggression or attacking without provocation
- Strange vocalizations
- Lethargy, trouble walking or standing
- No apparent reaction to loud noises or throws objects
If you observe any of these signs, avoid the squirrel and call animal control or wildlife authorities right away. Baby squirrels do not usually survive rabies more than 10 days, so quick action is vital.
Protect Yourself and Others
While waiting for help to arrive, make sure to safeguard yourself, children, and pets from potential contact. Close doors and windows so the animal cannot enter homes or buildings. Put pets indoors as well.
If the squirrel appears deceased, do not touch or move the body, as rabies can still infect for several hours after death. Simply secure the area around the animal until professionals retrieve it.
See a Doctor If Exposed
If you, someone in your family, or a pet has been bitten or scratched by the squirrel, wash wounds thoroughly with soap and water for 5 minutes. Then, contact a doctor right away to begin post-exposure rabies treatment. Though expensive, fast treatment is extremely effective in preventing the onset of rabies after exposure.
With caution and quick response, the risks posed by a rabid squirrel can be effectively managed. Stay aware of wildlife behaving strangely, and do not hesitate to call in reinforcements when needed. Protecting community health is essential.
Conclusion
While rare, rabies remains a serious concern when encountering wild baby animals like squirrels. By understanding rabies risks, transmission, and symptoms in baby squirrels, you can protect yourself and get help for the animal if needed. When in doubt, leave wildlife alone and contact animal control.
With proper precautions, we can coexist safely with nature.
